Coronavirus Updates: Italy Surpasses China’s Death Toll

Italy has now surpassed China as the country with the largest number of deaths related to the coronavirus. The Italian Civil Protection Agency announced 3,405 total deaths on Thursday. China has reported 3,242 deaths.

Italian officials report more than 41,000 cases on Thursday, a jump of more than 5,000 new cases. However, China’s case count is roughly double Italy’s, though China has a larger population and a lower median age than Italy.  Italy has been on a lockdown since March 12, with people only allowed to leave their homes for essential activities, like going to the grocery store or pharmacy.

The World Health Organization last week said the epicenter of the pandemic has shifted from China to Europe.

Italian death toll overtakes China’s as virus spreads


Editorial credit: praszkiewicz /